Dancing Alter-Ego
Picture it: It is a cold and snowy winter Tuesday night in January, not a single car on the road. You pull into the AD parking lot and there aren’t but a handful of cars in the usually bustling spaces. The sky is dark, as it is 7:50, and class begins in 10 minutes, but the snow on the ground makes the air seem bright and calm. You walk into the studio and see there is only one other pair of shoes as you kick off your boots, wondering if you are somehow just really early for once. As you get ready for class, you continue to listen for the door to open over the light beat of the warm-up music. The door never opens; it is simply you and two people you have never met before: one instructor and one other student. Small class, no worries, right? What could possibly go wrong? What could possibly be different than a normal class? Well, this class ended up being more like a private lesson, which was truly a gift in disguise as we were able to focus on what skills we were struggling with or moves we were curious about. However, roughly 35 minutes into class, I was thrown for a loop when our instructor said we were about to try something I had never done before. She was going to choose a song, and we were going to free dance for every second of the song without stopping. There were no guidelines, rules, except that we couldn’t stop dancing. WHAT?! As a type A person I was so scared- what in the world was I going to do? I didn’t have a random routine made up in my mind- you want me to be creative on the spot? Enter my dancing alter-ego. The song came on and at first I just started moving back and forth, did some walking around, a few climbs and then something switched and I just pretended to know what I was doing and acted as if nobody could see my dancing. This resulted in 3+ minutes of non-stop dancing and an immeasurable amount of joy. Who knew I was capable of such creativity and freedom? I was so proud of what I had done and felt like my confidence was bursting through my smile. Pushing limits and comfort zones is a specialty of Aerial Dance, and regardless if you are ready for that or not, it will come to you. PS, you ARE ready! Aerial Dance offers a variety of classes, all with different structures and styles! Come check out Intro to Pole or Intro to Aerial and find out how you like to move!
A New Fitness Passion
I have never been one to really take care of my body the way I should and I have always been very hard on myself over it. One day I decided to try Aerial Dance just to see what it was about, and to my pleasant surprise I ended up falling in love with it! It is so much more than just pole dancing, it truly is such a form of art! Everything is done with such grace and precision that when all the moves come together it looks so beautiful and elegant to watch! I truly didn’t think I would be able to succeed in it because I have always been the furthest thing from graceful but with the patience of such amazing instructors they have shown me that the only limit is when I decide to stop trying. As long as I am trying, they are helping me every step of the way to get to where I want to be. They don’t ever get frustrated with me if I am not learning something as quickly as everyone else is and instead they come down to my level and help me understand it in a way that suits me. They all support you 100% of the way and want to see you do your best. I feel so much stronger than I ever have in my life and I have realized I am putting in so much effort into taking care of myself when I never have done much of that before. Now I am realizing what I put in my body determines how I feel throughout the day and the better I eat, the better I will feel and the better I will be able to succeed where I want to with my fitness journey! I truly did not think I would be able to do it physically, but over time I have learned I am so much stronger than I ever thought I could be! We are always learning something new and having an absolute blast while doing it! I am so excited to see how much better I can get over time and where I can go from here! Thanks so much to everyone who has been supporting me here, the staff is so great and accommodating I cannot say enough about them! Everyone here truly has the same passion and want to help others and it truly does show.
Appreciating What My Body Can Do
Taking care of your body is important, being able to listen to your body is even more important. If you’re like me and believe you can just jump back into your old workout routine or think you can handle the amount of work that you used to put in anywhere from 2 to 7 years ago, you have another thing coming! Our bodies change over time, our schedules become different, our bodies need different bits of attention and more care as we get older. Sometimes I think I’m still as fit as I used to be at 18, dancing 6 out 7 days of the week, getting roughly 4-6 hours of sleep a night and practicing for 4-5 hours after school. I’ve learned over time that I cannot do that anymore because I’m not conditioned to do that anymore. You might have heard the phrase “If you do not pick a day to relax, your body will pick it for you” or other variations of it. It could not be more true the older you get! Learning to listen to my body is something I am still actively working on, but I understand that I’m not what I used to be but I’m still very proud of what I’m able to do now! I am learning that rest days are just as important as the days I chose to work out. Making sure that I get enough sleep, drink enough water, eat healthier foods, stretch regularly and choose myself first. We are able to accomplish such amazing things at all times in our lives. At 18, I was doing incredible leaps and turns and memorizing multiple routines, and now at 26 I can’t do those things as well anymore, but now I can do incredible things on the pole, or on hammock or silks! I hope in the next 10 to 30 years I’m still able to do incredible things and more! Maybe I’ll do a 5k, or learn to rock climb, or start a family. But I know to be able to do those, I need to keep taking care of my body and listening to what it needs and when. I’m very grateful for what I’m able to do at Aerial Dance and that my body allows me to be able to create such cool shapes, or that I can hold my entire body by manipulating fabric or having just the right grip points on the pole. The community Aerial has created is so uplifting and supportive that working out and taking care of my body is so fun and makes me want to keep myself healthy both when I’m actively working out or taking a rest day or two.
Breathing Into Your Stretches
Stretching is a great way to relax and actively work on your flexibility whether you want to be more flexible for moves that require your legs to be by your head or if you simply want to be able to touch your toes. There are a lot of different ways to stretch and I’m still learning different methods and ways through all of the instructors at Aerial Dance. I’ve always been used to one way of stretching and have been doing basically the same routine for years because I know it works for me, but is also the only thing I’ve known when it comes to stretching. However, I’ve realized that there is still quite a bit I could be doing to improve my routine or change it up so that it fits my style more with what I’m doing at the studio. What I used to be doing was a stretching routine that was more geared towards my studio dance life. I used different muscles back then and the stretches that I was taught enhanced those moves and my flexibility. While that stretching routine is still a good full body stretch, it’s not helping me fully accomplish what I need to do now with my body and what I use on the pole or in hoop or hammock. Now I have to learn to adjust my stretching routine because I’m using different muscles than what I used to. I have another object that I need to work around and learn to move my body with. By taking Bendy Babe at Aerial I’ve learned that I still have a lot of learning to do when it comes to stretching. I’ve loved being able to learn how to properly use the foam rollers to relax/roll out certain muscles, using a band to help hold my leg or simply being told to squeeze a certain muscle and then relaxing and seeing how much further I can then stretch. Each instructor has different knowledge to share when it comes to stretching but everyone is also so helpful when it comes to needing to know how to stretch something. While it’s good to have a solid stretching base and knowing how to stretch certain muscles, it’s also very helpful to make sure you change it up and make sure you’re trying new things. You may find that a new stretch is exactly what you needed to help achieve that one move you’ve been struggling with.
The Sisterhood that Means Everything
Trigger Warning: Miscarriage. What started as a way to have some fun, get in shape, and see what one of my best friends was so excited about, turned into something way more than I ever thought imaginable. I never envisioned the sisterhood I would be embraced by and the support I would have. I’m going to tell you a quick story. Within my intro class I could already see the fun and why my friend was so excited. Within weeks of starting I felt the strength and toning. And then I got pregnant. After having many losses and some serious hemorrhaging, the protocol for that pregnancy was immediate bedrest. So, I notified the studio I was pregnant and needed to go on leave. I believe I was in my second week of intermediate at the time. Unfortunately, after about 8 more weeks, bedrest was not the answer, and I lost that baby. I remember distinctly, it was a few days after my loss, and I decided I needed to contact the studio. I also decided the best way to do that was to give them a call. I often think about this and feel bad for the ever so kind and calm manager who answered that call. I explained who I was, that I had been on leave, however, I lost my baby. I had ended on the second week of the term and was wondering if I could come back as an intermediate. She was amazing and empathetic and directed me on next steps. She offered deep compassion to me during a call I’m sure was very unexpected. About a week later, I received a card in the mail. It was from Aerial Dance. I started to cry. These women. Who I barely knew. Who barely knew me. This company that I assumed I was just considered another member to. They took the time to personally write, sign, and send me a card. A day later, they sent me a text just gently reminding me to sign up for my first class. They met me where I was. They felt my pain and supported me. They showed me what a sisterhood could be. And those actions, in that moment, are a big part of the reason, 4 years later, I am still here. I don’t know of another space, another group of this many women, who want so passionately to support other women. The sisterhood I joined when I joined Aerial Dance is one that has continued to bring me instrumental support throughout some of the most challenging of times.
Behind Every Superman is Really a Superwoman
Blue..red..spandex… All synonymous with one of the most iconic of superheroes: Superman. Although he may not be everyone’s favorite- he most certainly is one of the most known. If not for his costume, then for his pose. One arm outstretched above the head in a most intimidating fist and the other lingering ready to pounce at any semblance of a threat. In this pose he emanates power and strength which makes sense why we have adopted it for our beloved pole. Picture this, it’s your first intermediate class. The previous week you were just learning how to climb the pole and climb down without scraping off all of your skin (which I may add is a very common occurrence for me). Now- your instructor says, “Has anybody gotten their superman?”. For me, this situation was reality and instantly I was intrigued, which must’ve been translated directly to my face because the instructor then wrapped her legs on the pole, turned to the side, maneuvered it between herself, then proceeded to blow my mind and hold herself up. She swooped face down, arm outstretched as if she were flying. Bam. Superman. This was quite possibly the coolest but also probably the most painful thing I have seen so far. When I was in beginner and was shown how to sit for the first time, I thought that my thighs were going to go on strike for better working conditions. When we transitioned from a cross legged sit to a scissors my head was swimming with thoughts like, “This is it for me. My skin will probably just roll off and never come back.” Now I must squeeze my legs together with such gusto that I can hold myself up with one arm? My first attempt was fruitless but it planted the seed. I tried it from the floor probably 15 times with nothing other than an apple sized bruise forming on each side of my thigh. My skin was raw but I felt proud. Like a tiger that earned its stripes. I booked a practice the following day and during that time I did it over and over. I finally got to a point where I could hold myself up for a few seconds. “This must mean that I am a professional now. How much harder can it get?” I thought. And I thought wrong. My next class the instructor showed me how I could do it by transitioning from a low hook spin. After that you could say I was really hooked. From the low hook spin I got it on my second try. I have never felt more triumphant. More… super. I went home with plenty of battle scars, but I have never felt as strong and emboldened. Honestly, I felt very much like a super woman.
Mood Boosting Ability!
I don’t know what it is but going to Aerial Dance really does help improve my mood. I was having a semi stressful day at work last week, it wasn’t too chaotic or anything luckily but it was just a blah kind of day, and I remember just being like “I can’t wait to go to class tonight” and it helped motivate me to get through the rest of my day because I was looking forward to the studio so much. I was having an okay day at work, not that it was bad or anything, I opened the app and scrolled to see what classes were being offered that night and found some that I was able to take, an aerial class and a dance cardio class. I signed up for some classes later in the evening and I was really excited for them and it really was a big mood booster for me. It made me excited for the evening and it almost gave me like a reset on the day to be able to focus on my work. Going to the studio was my motivation to get my work done and get to the end of the day so I could get to the studio. When I got to the studio that night, I wasn’t disappointed in my choices either. The classes I took were fun, engaging and so uplifting with the other women in class. I think a lot of us had days where someone asks us “How’s it going” and your response is something like “Well I’m here” and a lot of times that is the biggest part of the battle and that’s just showing up. I’ve had plenty of days like that showing up to the studio, not being in the best of moods but showing up cause I want to keep improving at this sport. But it’s also fun to have days like this where you’re excited to go, you’re excited to play because you know you’re going to have a good time! While I wish every time I signed up for classes, it improved my mood as much as it did this one day, I know that’s not entirely possible. But I know that every time I leave the studio, I’m always leaving it in a better mood than when I entered. I’m so grateful for the instructors and the other students and how much we just lift each other up. We can be weird around each other, we can yell because we’re so excited and we can just be ourselves. Even if we’re having a blah kind of day, this space always has a warm welcome that I appreciate.
Pole Kisses (aka Bruises)
When you’ve been doing pole for so long, you think that you just stop bruising, because your body is just used to being thrown at a metal object or doing the same thing over and over that you’re just desensitized from it. But then you take a class and do a different variation of a move, or you find a new grip point on your body and then the next day you’re finding new bruises in spots you didn’t know you could bruise. It’s always a fun game after a class that you’re sore from guessing where your bruises are going to be or from guessing which moves are gonna leave a sore spot on you tomorrow. Looking back, I remember when I first started pole, my legs were covered in bruises because of the new grip points, shoving my shins into the pole to climb, and just desensitizing my thighs from the pole and sitting or doing superman. I remember it being so painful, but when you keep doing it over and over again, it starts to hurt less, and less and then one day you’re in a sit and it doesn’t hurt, or you get into superman and you realize you can hold for longer than a millisecond! That is a huge accomplishment in itself! And before you realize it, your thighs aren’t bruising as much either. Our bodies are weird but so cool like that. I took a spins class recently and while it was a really fun class, it was also pretty challenging. Did a lot of forearm related moves and while I didn’t hate it, I forgot how much I don’t train my arms and grip points as much as my legs. I found a solid bruise close to my armpit, another one on my bicep, and another on the back of my forearm. But when I was in class, I knew that I was going to be sore and instead of being upset I was going to have bruises, I was excited! Excited to show them off at work the next day, excited to remember what I learned from class and also now I’m determined to try those moves again so I can desensitize those areas for the future. I’m not sure when I started to enjoy bruises, but something switched in my pole journey where I look at them as a form of accomplishment, proving I worked hard and it gives me a sense of determination to do what I did again. Now that doesn’t mean when I don’t bruise I’m not as excited because every class is just as hard and I sweat so hard in every class because I know I’m working just as hard, it’s just that my body is a little more used to what I’m doing versus other moves. I just get excited when I receive a little pole kiss from class.
A Little Self Confidence
When talking about confidence there’s a lot of things that go into that. We all know someone who just exudes confidence and radiates good energy. Some people learn confidence, others it just comes naturally to them and there are some of us who are still actively working on our self confidence. For me, it’s not something that comes naturally and while I have things that I’m good at and am confident doing, it doesn’t always mean I feel confident doing them. I’ve been taking pole classes with Aerial for over 4 years now and there are still days when I have no idea what’s going on or what to do with my body. I’m not gonna lie, there are some intermediate or advanced 1 moves that I still struggle with or don’t remember the names of. When I look back to when I first started at Aerial versus now, I can tell that my confidence has gotten better and that I’m not as afraid as I used to be. But I still have days when moves aren’t hitting, or my grip is bad, or my brain just isn’t fully processing the combo or moves on the board and it ruins my mood a bit. It does make class more of a struggle sometimes, but the instructors are always so helpful and patient and even my classmates have helped out in the past trying to explain things. Some days, if I’m really struggling, I’ll admit that I will just give up and move onto something else that I know I can do, because I want a win for that class, even if it’s something I’ve done a hundred times before. I am very grateful to our instructors though and them believing in us even when we think we can’t. I’m someone who needs a little extra push on those days I may be struggling, from someone who knows that I can do what they’re asking. I’m just in my own head about it and tell myself I can’t, but they know that I can do it! We’re all each other’s advocates at the studio, and when we’re all cheering each other on each class, it helps boost that self-confidence up just a little more than before. I will always be grateful to the instructors for pushing me and believing in me and being an extra support system when I need it. You may not think the instructors know what you’re capable of, but I can promise you that they do! You are more capable than you think you are, you are strong and you are a bad-a$$ woman who can do anything she sets her mind to!
Working It All
Aerial dance is a work out. That statement is not a surprise to most. Another unsurprising statement is telling someone aerial dance is a full body workout. Most people eagerly agree and discuss the strength the tricks take. Some even understand the dedication and persistence it takes. The concept that caught me off guard in the beginning of my aerial journey and I often catch people off guard when I tell them, is how much aerial dance works your brain, your courage, your emotional stability, your self worth, and your self respect, to name only a few. The list of things aerial dance works is truly endless. It is all encompassing and there are so many words to describe the growth I have witnessed in both myself and other women. Life happens. And life can be tough. Many women who walk through the doors of the studio, each and every day, are struggling with something outside of the studio, and at times they are big things to be struggling with. I think we can agree, part of what is at the core of how we present ourselves is our confidence. Specifically, our confidence in ourselves and our abilities. It is hard work to be confident in who you are and every decision you make. It is hard work finding who you are and believing in that person. There is not one thing I have done at the studio, that did not include some level of trusting and believing in myself, of having confidence in myself. The confidence might have been dismal, the confidence might have in fact been that I would survive the fall. But there was confidence nonetheless, and where there is confidence there is courage. Courage to do hard things. Courage to try and fail. Courage to work on the hard things. With each try of a new trick, with each achievement of a new ability my confidence has grown and I have watched the same happen to countless other women. It is one heck of a workout to question belief systems you have been indoctrinated with or concepts that go against societal norms. And yet, conversations at the studio often fall into these categories. Not necessarily conversations about questioning but conversations about the growth that came with it. Conversations about the way peoples’ lives have changed and continue to because of choices being made. Often times, choices being made by women, myself included, who have grown in strength since becoming an aerialist. Women who have found confidence they didn’t know they had. Women who have found body awareness, which led to self awareness. Women who have learned to show up for themselves and that showing up is enough. Aerial Dance truly provides an amazing full body workout, all encompassing, mind, body, and soul. The people in the sisterhood that is Aerial Dance are there to support and help you work up the strength in all of the ways you need, not only in your physical body.
